Sunday, June 13, 2010

A wee submission for The Inferno's theme of A Midsummers Night's Dream

From that place wherein mortal dreams are born and do sail on the warm midsummer nights’ breezes, a child of the fairie woods weeps. Shards of moonlight slash through the leaves of an ancient and gnarled oak, like daggers of light that shineth down from the pale yellow orb; as to witness this child’s sorrow. Her sobs were so soft and sweet, so as to hush the song of the nightbird. Herein begins my tale. Whilst thou follow me to this ancient place and harken to the words spoken and now written for all time?

“Delphenia, why do I cometh upon you in sorrow? Wilst thou not join the great Fairie Circle and dance with us?”

“Dear Pinus, I have no words to share with thee tonight. Can not the great maker of dreams lift me from this place and carry me off to where my heart wouldst feel no more?”

Pinus crouched low; his tiny features once sparkling and wizened, now tinged with expressions of sadness and perplexion.

“What hath led you to this state of despair dear Delphenia? The Queen of the fairies doth await upon your presence.”

Delphenia turned sharply to Pinus.

“Begone Pinus! I would not have this conversation with thee! Thou art a knave, and the messenger of the Queen! My heart hath been torn from my chest and I am smote by the careless and callous words of Acer! Here I would stay till I breathe no more and become one with Mother Earth!”

Pinus recoiled at the onslaught of words so spoken in anger as to loose his footing and fall backwards.

“My dearest Pinus, art thou safe? Please forgive my anger. I wouldst not lend this sadness upon one such as you.”

Pinus arose. His features lay witness more to his embarrassment of having fallen. Fairie pride runneth deeper than the roots of the tree of life.

“Pray tell Delphenia, as Acer may be likened to a fool that sitteth on a fools throne, what words could he use to wreak this havoc on thine heart?”

“I dare not say Pinus.”

Pinus looked into the eyes of Delphenia as she spoke. She was young, and easily hurt.

“Are we not of the same ilk Delphenia? Wouldst thou now spurn me and turn from my friendship and love? Am I now to return to the Fairie Circle without you by my side? A pain, once shared, becomes half a pain. Thou hast pained me in this place this eve, and will nought but leave to wonder from whence that pain is derived? No Delphenia! Thine sorrow is my sorrow. Speak the words to me so I make take them from your mouth and dash them on the stones of forgiveness.”

“Oh Pinus, unworthy as I am of thine love and friendship, I shall share his words with thee. Acer told me that I had the hair of a tangled bramble bush and a nose like a ripe nettle!”

Delphenia began to sob and wail. Pinus let a small smile fill his face.

“Dear, dear Delphenia. Doth thou not realize the reason for which Acer made those childlike insults? Me thinks that Acer doth hold thee in rather high esteem! And as thou has seen fit to not return his advances, he strikes at the one place that even you cannot protect. Negative attention is attention nonetheless.”

“But dear Pinus, mine heart is no longer mine to protect. For it belongs to another. It is he who must protect it.”

Pinus looked bewildered. Even the wisest of fairies may sometime make a mistake in doing that by which all mortals are bound, not realizing the obvious. And as the realization became obvious on Pinus’ face, Delphenia smiled and moved closer.

The evening air crackled as Delphenia and Pinus embraced and a great dream swirled about them and rose high into the midsummer nights sky, and sailed off to the land of mortals.

I am the keeper of fairie dreams. Therefore, by the power of the Fairie Circle, I now entrust this dream to thee. Pinus and Delphenia dance still, and will always do so, on these warm midsummer nights; creating dreams.